Board game, apparatus, and method of play

ABSTRACT

A board game preferably for two players involving the movement of a single game piece along a plurality of three types of lanes differentiated on the basis of color, with the lanes having arrowheads showing allowable directions of movement to a plurality of sites including a start site for each player and a score site for each player. Players alternately toss a pair of cubic dice with each die having three sides of one color and three sides of another color corresponding to the colors of the lanes. The single game piece is moved from one site to an adjacent site along one of the lanes corresponding to the uppermost faces shown by the dice. Players win one point when the game piece moves into their score site; and when a player reaches a predetermined winning score, that player wins the game. The game can be played by a single player against an imaginary opponent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a game apparatus for a board type game and a method of play.

There are a number of board games wherein players advance from starting positions to ending positions along paths containing discreet steps pursuant to the rules of play of the game. An object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus and a method of play wherein the players' moves are determined by the toss of dice and involve the movement of a single game piece on a board with sites for positioning of the game piece. The game piece is moved along arrowed, colored lanes in response to the colored faces revealed by the toss of the dice. Scoring happens when the game piece traverses through a plurality of lanes and sites from a player's start site to a player's score site.

The game can be played by persons of all ages, but is best suited to children between the ages of 5 through 10. The game provides entertainment and also has some educational value for children of that age group.

The game can also be played by one person with movement determined according to the same rules used for two players as outlined above except that the solitary player consecutively tosses the dice and moves the game piece. The solitary player plays against an imaginary opponent who scores points when the game piece moves into his score site.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a game for two persons (herein called player A and player B) comprises a game board having sixteen separate lanes extending between the ten sites for the positioning of the single game piece used in the game. There are three types of lanes differentiated by their color or colors: one type with one color, one type of another color and the third type a combination of the two above-said colors. Four of the lanes are of color X; four of the lanes are of color Y; and eight of the lanes are bi-colored, X and Y, or X/Y. The eight single colored lanes have an arrowhead at each end denoting that the single game piece can move in either direction along these lanes. The bi-colored lanes have arrowheads at one end of the lane denoting that the game piece can be moved only in one direction along these lanes.

Of the ten sites included on the board for the positioning of the single game piece used in the game, two are start sites, one for player A and one for player B; and two are score sites, one for A and one for B. All sites except the score sites are connected by three different lanes that allow for movement of the single game piece from these sites along one of the three lanes in response to the colors shown by the dice. The score sites are connected to adjacent sites by a bi-colored lane that provides for movement only into the site. During play (after starting the game but before scoring) the start sites are used like any other site for the movement and placement of the single game piece.

A pair of matching cubic dice; each die colored to correspond to the solid colors of the lanes on the game board, i.e.-three X-colored sides and three Y-colored sides; is the preferred decision-making device used to designate the lane along which the game piece is to be moved. A player tosses the dice and if the two uppermost faces of the dice show a solid color (X or Y), the game piece is moved along the lane of that color to the adjacent site. If the uppermost faces of the dice show two colors (X/Y) then the game piece is moved along the bi-colored lane in the direction of the arrowhead to the adjacent site.

Players alternately toss the dice and move the game piece according to said rules above. When the game piece reaches a score site, the player of that score site wins one point and the game piece is moved to that player's start site and the game continues with alternative tossing of the dice and movement of the game piece. The movement of the game piece to a score site can result from the tossing of the dice by either player. Thus, tossing of the dice by one player can result in a score for the other player.

The winning score is predetermined at the start of the game and scores are generally recorded on paper, but other methods may be used (cribbage board or domino counter, for example).

The game can also be played by a single player using the same rules as the game for two persons except that the single player consecutively tosses the dice and moves the single game piece and plays against an imaginary opponent who scores points when the game piece is moved into the imaginary player's score site.

These and other features of the present invention are described in detail below and shown in the appended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the game board with the single game piece shown in perspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawing, the game of the present invention is most easily described in connection with the game board layout shown in FIG. 1. The game comprises a base 10 on which a playing field is positioned. This field is printed on the game board. The game is played by two players designated herein as player A (or A) and player B (or B).

The game has a single game piece 11 that is moved from site to site during play.

The playing field provides ten sites 12-16 for the positioning of the single game piece by player A or player B during play. Sites 12 and 13 are score sites: 12 is the score site for player A and 13 is the score site for player B. Sites 14 and 15 are start sites: 14 is the start site for player A and 15 is the start site for player B. The start sites are used at the beginning of play and after a player scores a point. Each site on the game board, except for the score sites, allows for the movement of the single game piece from one site to an adjacent site via one of three types of lanes. The playing field has sixteen lanes 17-19 that connect the ten sites. Lanes 17 are of color X, lanes 18 are of color Y, and lanes 19 are bi-colored and bilaterally symmetrical having half of each lane of color X and half of each lane of color Y. The single colored lanes 17 and 18 have an arrowhead on both ends, which denotes that the single game piece can be moved in either direction along those lanes, and the bi-colored lanes 19 have an arrowhead at one end denoting that the game piece can be moved only in one direction along those lanes. Each score site is connected to an adjacent site by a single bi-colored lane.

The game includes a pair of cubic dice, each die having three sides of color X and three sides of color Y which correspond to the single-colored lanes on the game board. These dice when tossed produce three possible combinations: two uppermost faces of color X, two uppermost faces of color Y, or one uppermost face of color X and one uppermost face of color Y. The probability of the dice showing two faces of the same color (X or Y) is one in four. The probability of the dice showing different colors (X/Y) is one in two. Thus the probability of movement of the single game piece along a bi-colored lane is twice that of movement along one of the single colored lanes.

The combination of said dice and three types of lanes of the present invention increases the probability of the game piece moving to a greater number of the sites on the game board and increases the probability of the game piece moving into a score site. For example, in a similar board game wherein three single-colored lanes are used and a single die with two sides corresponding with each of the three colors of the lanes is used, then the chances of the game piece being moved along any one of the lanes is one in three. In comparison with the present invention the chances of movement of the single game piece along a single colored lane are one in four and the chances of moving the game piece along a bi-colored lane is one in two. The present invention, thus, favors movement along a bi-colored lane, that allows movement of the game piece in only one direction. As there are twice as many bi-colored lanes as of each single colored lane the probability of movement of the game piece along a bi-colored lane is also greatly increased. In playing the game of the present invention there is one chance in four of the game piece being returned to the site that the game piece occupied in the previous move. In a similar game with three single-colored lanes, as in said example above, there is one chance in three that the game piece will be returned to the site of the previous move. The present invention thus greatly increases the number of sites on which the game piece will be positioned on the game board during play and also increases the chances of scoring.

The object of the game for each player is to move the game piece from its start site along a plurality of lanes to a score site through a series of moves. Each time the game piece reaches player A's score site 12 player A wins one point. The game piece is then moved to player A's start site 14. Each time the game piece reaches player B's score site 13, player B wins one point. The game piece is then moved to player B's start site 11. The player with the most points wins at the end of the game.

The manner in which the game progresses is as follows: To start the game one of the players tosses one die. If the die shows color X then A starts the game and if the die shows color Y then B starts the game. The player starting the game tosses the dice, if both dice show color X, the game piece is moved along the lane of color X to the adjacent site; if both dice show color Y the game piece is moved along the lane of color Y to the adjacent site, and if one die shows color X and one die shows color Y, then the single game piece is moved along the lane of color X/Y. The opposing player then tosses the dice and moves the single game piece according to above said rules. Thus, through alternative tossing of the dice and moving of the game piece by the players the game piece moves along a plurality of lanes to a plurality of sites, and eventually to a score site. During play, after starting the game but before scoring, the start sites are used the same as the other sites 16 for the movement and placement of the single game piece. If the game piece reaches player A's score site 12, then player A wins a point; if the game piece reaches player B's score site 13, then player B wins a point. A player wins a point when the game piece moves into his score site regardless of which player tosses the dice and causes the game piece to be moved to that score site. After a score the game piece is moved to the start site of the player who scored. Thus, when player A wins a point the game piece is moved to player A's start site 14; and when player B wins a point the game piece is moved to player B's start site 13. The alternative tossing of the dice by the players is not interrupted when one player scores.

The score needed to win the game is predetermined by the players at the start of the game. Scores are generally recorded on paper, but other methods may be used (cribbage board or domino counter, for example).

The game can also be played by a single player using the same rules as the game for two persons except that the single player consecutively tosses the dice and moves the single game piece and plays against an imaginary opponent who also scores points when the game piece is moved into the imaginary player's score site.

It should be understood that the foregoing is merely exemplary of the preferred practice of the present invention and that various changes in the arrangements and details of construction of the embodiments disclosed herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

1. (canceled)
 2. A game preferably for two persons comprising a game board that has: two types of lanes wherein one type of lane that has an arrowhead on both ends, which denotes that the single game piece can be moved from one site to another in either direction along this type of lane and a second type of lane that has an arrowhead at one end denoting that the game piece can be moved only in one direction between sites along this type of lane.
 3. A game according to claim 2 wherein the movement of the game piece is determined by the tossing of a pair of dice wherein the players alternately toss the dice and move the game piece accordingly, and wherein; the dice are matching cubes that have three sides of one color and three sides of another color corresponding to the type of lane on the game board that allows movement in either direction; three combinations of colors can result from the toss of the dice: two uppermost faces of one color, two uppermost faces of the other color, and one uppermost face of one color and one uppermost face of the other color; the probability that the dice will show one of the single colors is one in four; the probability that the dice will show two colors is one in two; the toss of the dice by a player thus designates which type of lane along which the game piece is moved to an adjacent site; and the toss of the dice by one player may result in the single game piece being moved to the other player's score site.
 4. (canceled)
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